THE GAME AT A GLANCE
• The team is playing the last of four straight games on the road, before its home opener slated for Sunday, May 20 at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex in Montreal, against the Seattle Sounders.
• The Impact has not lost in its first three games of the season, beating the Miami FC 1-0, the Charleston Battery 3-2 and tying the Atlanta Silverbacks 2-2.
• Leonardo Di Lorenzo (2), Charles Gbeke (2), Martin Fabro and Matthew Palleschi have scored for the Impact so far this season.
• Goalkeeper Matt Jordan should start a fourth consecutive match for the Impact. He is unbeaten in three starts (2-0-1).
• For a third straight game, Impact head coach Nick De Santis should field a 4-5-1 formation (four defenders, five midfielders and one forward).
• The Impact has never lost in nine games against the Puerto Rico Islanders (7-0-2, 13GF-3GA), which is playing the fourth season of its history.
• Last year, the Impact shut out the Islanders twice by the score of 1-0, in Puerto Rico April 30, and in Montreal June 4.
• It is the first of two match-ups between the two teams this season. The Islanders will be in Montreal on June 29.
THE OPPONENT
• This is the fifth game of the season for the Islanders.
• The Islanders played to a 0-0 tien in their last two games, against the RailHawks in Carolina (May 4) and against the Seattle Sounders (April 29).
• The Islanders have not lost at home this season, beating the Rochester Rhinos 2-1 (April 13) after their tie game with Seattle.
• There are nine newcomers with the Islanders this season: goalkeeper Josh Saunders (Portland, USL D1), defenders Jay Needham (Southern Methodist, NCAA) and Ruben Diaz (Long Island, PDL), midfielders Victor Herrera-Piggott (San Francisco FC, Panama), Gustavo Avila (Plaza Amador FC, Panama), David Johnson (Los Angeles, MLS) and Goran Vujanovic (Croatia), as well as forward Alberto Zapata (San Francisco FC, Panama).
• Are no longer with the team: Caleb Norkus (Carolina, USL D1), John Queeley (Atlanta, USL D1) and PJ Scheufele (Rochester, USL D1).
OTHER FACTS
• Defender Paul Moran signed a new deal with the Impact for the 2007 season. Moran played with the Fresno Fuego, in the USL Premier Development League, from 2004 to 2006. Last year in Fresno, played in 13 games, scoring one goal in 1,076 minutes of play. Impact head-coach Nick De Santis and his assistant Peter Pinizzotto scouted him during the first USL Showcase, last January. He also played four college seasons. He played for Santa Clara University, from 2001 to 2002, then the 2003 season with Fresno State and ended his college career in 2004, with Fresno Pacific University.
• Defenders Hicham Aaboubou and Paul Moran, as well as forward Massimo Di Ioia, will not travel with the team to Puerto Rico and will play with the Trois-Rivières Attak in their home opener, this Sunday at 4 pm, against the Toronto Croatia, at Trois-Rivières University Stadium.
• Team captain Mauro Biello is only one point away from the 200-point mark with the Impact. (68G, 63A – 199 PTS). He is the Impact’s all-time leading scorer.
• The next goal scored by the Impact will be the 500th in the club’s history.
PRE-GAMES COMMENTS
HEAD COACH NICK DE SANTIS
“Our level of confidence is good, but we have to make sure we are not overconfident for the game against the Islanders. Puerto Rico has always had good seasons at home and they will remember their two losses against us last year."
FORWARD FREDERICO MOOJEN
“To win in Puerto Rico, we will have to play as well as we did during the second half in Miami. The key will be to keep possession of the ball and create as many scoring chances as possible. Also, we played very well defensively in Florida and we have to keep improving this aspect too.”
DEFENDER ANDRES ARANGO
“Having faced them a few times in the past, I have to say that it’s not an easy team to play against. They are tough, the weather is extremely hot and the local fans are very motivated. I am confident that we will play another good game defensively. I feel better and better with Gabriel (Gervais) in the middle.”
OUT OF THE LINE-UP
Player Position Injury Status Games missed in 2007
Massimo Di Ioia Forward --- Did not make the trip to Puerto Rico 2
Hicham Aaboubou Defender --- Did not make the trip to Puerto Rico 2
Paul Moran Defender --- Did not make the trip to Puerto Rico 3
Martin Fabro Midfielder Ankle Day to day 0
Nevio Pizzolitto Defender Knee Return unknown 3
Jason DiTullio Defender Knee Return unknown 3
Shaun Tsakiris Midfielder Groin Return unknown 3
NEXT GAME
• Sunday, May 20 - Seattle @ Impact - Claude-Robillard Sports Complex - 4:00 pm (Radio-Canada, Sirius, CJAD 800, USLlive.com)
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Source: Patrick Vallée, Montreal Impact
Info: 514-328-3668, ext. 27
